Novus miles sequitur viam novi regis
bonus pastor patitur pro salute gregis
Thomas agni sanguine lavat stole gemine
purpuram rubentem
res est satis evidens quod illustrat accidens
totum orientem.
Month: Dec 2016
Holy Innocents
Vox in Rama audita est
ploratus et ululatus multus,
Rachel plorans filios suos,
et noluit consolari, quia non sunt.
St John, Apostle and Evangelist
(from the Book of Kells)
The 12 Days Of Christmas: A secret code for persecuted Catholics?
“Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree are familiar items in the much-loved carol the 12 Days Of Christmas.
“To many who have heard dozens of adaptations, the song seems to bring together a random bunch of animals and people like “eight maids a-milking” and “11 pipers piping”.
“But the meaning behind the familiar and cheerful song may have been closely tied with religious teachings, according to historical theologian Associate Professor Bronwen Neil from the Australian Catholic University…
Second day: Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Third day: Three French hens represented the three gifts of faith, hope and love.
Fourth day: Calling birds were the four gospels.
Fifth day: Five golden rings were the Books of Moses.
Sixth day: Geese a-laying stands for the six days of creation.
Seventh day: Swans a-swimming were the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Eighth day: Maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Ninth day: Ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit such as charity, peace and kindness.
Tenth day: Lords a-leaping represent the 10 Commandments.
Eleventh day: Pipers piping were the 11 apostles.
Twelfth day: Twelve drummers drumming represented the points of the Apostles Creed.”
How does the Pope want to reform the Curia? We still don’t really know
“The Pope’s end of year speech to the Roman Curia has become something of an event…
“Then there is a matter of the presents. In the old days each member of the Curia got a bottle of prosecco and a panettone from the Holy Father. The Pope has cut out such fripperies. On one occasion each was given a CD of the Pope’s speeches. This year it was a book, recommended by Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, who, funnily enough, is one of the Four Cardinals who sent the Pope the famous dubia which remain still unanswered. The book is entitled “Measures to treat diseases of the soul” (Industriae ad curandos animae morbos), by the Italian Jesuit Fr Claudio Acquaviva. No doubt it will make cheery Christmas reading.
“But to the speech. This was, to put it mildly, cryptic, at least to English ears…
“Actually, those who oppose reforms may well think “not these reforms”: they may oppose them as counter-productive or misguided, rather than opposing reform per se. And yet, how can anyone oppose the Pope’s reforms, when none of us know what these reforms really are?”
St Stephen
Nativity of the Lord
“…and on earth peace to men of good will.”
Catholic priest’s appointment as university president stuns French
“And the Union of Communist Students declared: “The Vatican has seized power at the University of Strasbourg!”
“But there is a major exception to laïcité in Alsace and Moselle, the mixed French-German border area that belonged to Germany when the 1905 law was passed.”
Likely timing of the formal correction
“Cardinal Burke: Well the dubia have to have a response because they have to do with the very foundations of the moral life and of the Church’s constant teaching with regard to good and evil, with regard to various sacred realities like marriage and Holy Communion and so forth. What format it would take is very simple; namely it would be direct, even as the dubia are, only in this case there would no longer be raising questions, but confronting the confusing statements in Amoris Laetitia with what has been the Church’s constant teaching and practice, and thereby correcting Amoris Laetitia. It’s an old institute in the Church, the correction of the pope. This has not happened in recent centuries, but there are examples and it’s carried out with the absolute respect for the office of the Successor of Saint Peter, in fact, the correction of the pope is actually a way of safeguarding that office and its exercise. When will it take place? Now of course we are in the last days, days of strong grace, before the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, and then we have the Octave of the Solemnity and the celebrations at the beginning of the New Year – the whole mystery of Our Lord’s Birth and His Epiphany – so it would probably take place sometime after that.”
seamasodalaigh 